“Freedom is not free, and the responsibilities of protecting that freedom must be handed down to the younger generations.”

With those words from Estral Beach Village President Fred Borowski, the community's Veterans Memorial, originally established in 1971, was rededicated to a whole new generation of local military veterans.

The late John H. Knierim was president of Estral Beach in 1971, and he was the driving force behind the creation of the original memorial. Knierim served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and participated in several legendary battles, including the Battle of Guadalcanal. Working with the armory, Knierim was able to secure the tank, which became the cornerstone of the memorial.

“The M-4 Tank, also known as the Sherman, was the most commonly used tank in World War II,” Borowski told an audience recently of more than 100 guests. “More than 50,000 were produced between 1942 and 1945, including this one.”

“The memorial was one of [my father’s] greatest achievements,” said Knierim’s daughter, Sandra Knierim Wiegand. “He didn’t want to dedicate it to any one group, but to all veterans.

“The original offer from the National Guard was a U.S. Fighter Jet,” Wiegand continued, “but the problem my dad had with that was that it was too expensive to mount off the ground, and he knew that the kids would want to climb on it. They then came back with the offer of the Sherman Tank, and my dad accepted.”

With the help of Edward Mahalak, state representative at that time, the Michigan National Guard was able to transport the Sherman tank to the Village of Estral Beach on a flatbed trailer and place it in a location where it would remain for the next 50 years.

“The pad deteriorated over time,” Wiegand explained, “because the funds for the project were very limited, mostly available through personal donations, and it was just enough to finish the project.”

The memorial was refurbished in 2008 and 2010, but after 50 years, the pad had sunk into the ground and crumbled in many places, causing the tank to lean significantly to one side. Monroe County Historical Commission representative Mary Strevel contacted the Berlin Charter Township Historical Society about the possibility of obtaining a grant to refurbish the memorial. The society and the village council partnered together to submit the application to the Monroe County Museum System Historical Projects Fund, and a total of $10,000 was awarded for the project.

The committee members knew that it would take a much stronger concrete pad to properly support the 40-ton tank, so Borowski reached out to Marcus Newton of Area Excavating & Construction of Gibraltar. After Newton agreed to do the work, the next step in the process was to determine how to move the tank from its current pad. Village trustee Greg Knierim and Fire Chief Dave Millar were able to unseal and enter the tank, and the committee members were thrilled to discover that it was parked in “neutral,” which would allow it to be pulled instead of lifted to its new location.

With this information, the committee determined that the new pad would be poured about 15 feet due west of the original one. Unfortunately, June’s extreme rain postponed the project for several weeks, but in late July, a new pad was poured using material that would ensure the tank would be supported for many more years.

“That pad is so strong, a 747 could land on it!” Borowski joked to the dedication attendees.

After waiting four weeks for the concrete to set, the committee enlisted the help of Larry Masserant and his crew from Mid American Group, as well as Adam Younglove and his team from Michigan Marine, to secure a truck and a bulldozer to move the tank onto its new pad. During the ceremony, Borowski also recognized the many community members who helped with the renovation.

“Refurbishing the Estral Beach Veterans Memorial was a community-wide effort of grants, sponsorships, and gifts-in-kind from residents of Estral Beach and Monroe, and even companies contracted for work who went above and beyond the contract.

“In many ways this project was a labor of love to honor our veterans, and it is through veterans memorials such as this one that our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and future generations will learn to cherish and protect this ‘last best hope of humankind."

 The restoration of the Estral Beach Veterans Memorial will continue. Contact the Village at 734-586-8380 for information on how to donate or sponsor a bench.

Stephanie Hawkins is a contributor to The Monroe News